My Studio Ghibli Art Book Collection Pt 1. 1980-2000

I said that I would eventually show off my Studio Ghibli art book collection and I think it is time to do it. I have too many of the books to show off in just one post so I have broken up the work from 1980-2000 and will show my books after 2000 tomorrow. (I accidentally left out Kiki's Delivery service so I will show that one tomorrow). I am constantly buying more art books so when I get some new ones ill show them off. Im looking for some of the rarer Japanese books at this point because the English set I buy most of my books from is complete.

The books I have included and will be talking about are picture above, minus the mooks which I showed off a few days ago. Each , I believe is from Viz media and they do a fantastic job with keeping the books at a reasonable price, but also making them pretty damn impressive. The lineup in order of release date are Nausica of the Valley of the Wind watercolor impression book, My Neighbor Totoro, Porco Rosso and Princess Mononoke.

The first book is the Nausica of the Valley of the Wind watercolor book which features most of the amazing watercolor art made for the movie and also for the concept art. In addition some was used for promotion of the Manga and eventual movie in Japan. Ive told this story before, but Miyazaki actually had to create a manga in order to get funding for Nausica to show the investors there was enough interest. It ended up being an amazing success and I have reviewed the original manga a few weeks ago on my channel. For an art book and also for someone who is a fan of watercolor art, this book is a must have.

Next is the My Neighbor Totoro art book, which is a must have for any Studio Ghibli fan. While not my favorite movie from Miyazaki, the tie in with nature and a look into how the Japanese see spirits is fantastic. The story is actually pretty sad and somber, even to the point where people have made up theories about what the story is based on. (I dont want to ruin the theory, but check it out if you have a chance). I just see this story as a coming of age piece filled with gorgeous art and lovable and imaginative characters.

Next is Porco Rosso which I feel is one of the most underrated Ghibli movies out there. I needed to get an art book for Porco Rosso just because of how much I love this movie. The gorgeous ocean visuals set on the Adriatic paired with pre WWII aerial combat is just a scene to behold. The whole movie has this Noire feel to it like old movies from the 50s and it adds to the enjoyment. If you have never seen Porco Rosso, do it, now!

Finally is an art book for one of the highest rated Studio Ghibli movies around, Princess Mononoke. Usually when I hear people's favorite Ghibli films it is usually either Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away. Personally the later is my favorite, but mostly because I was the perfect age and saw it at a perfect time, but more on that tomorrow. Mononoke was actually probably one of the first Ghibli movies I saw and I was blown away at how good the animation and action within the movie was. Up until that point I was used to poor quality animation for shows like Pokemon. Although I missed many of the points of the movie as a child, I have been able to go back and rewatch it multiple times.

Each one of these books holds a special place in my hear and this is why I own the art books. I will sometimes just put on a Ghibli soundtrack mix and look at the complex art for a while. Everything in their worlds is just so bright and cheery that even the pictures take me to another place. For the price of the books, it is well worth it for me to see them on my shelf and have them to read any time.

-Calaber24p